ACTS OF KINDNESS PART 7
by deetatarant
Summary: Ianto gets back to the Hub. Some sexual references. nothing explicit


Thanks everyone for reading and reviewing:

_**Thanks everyone for reading and reviewing:**_

**Acts of Kindness Part 7:**

**Sticking Plaster Over A Gaping Wound:**

Ianto wearily stepped over the threshold as the roller door allowed him access to the Hub. He walked gingerly over to Tosh's workstation and sat down in her chair unable to cope with the stairs going up to Jack's office. It was 10am and Owen, who had heard someone enter, stepped up from the autopsy bay rather stunned to discover Ianto sitting hunched up in a hoodie and jeans, covered in dried blood and clutching at his side.

"Jesus Ianto, what happened?" He was at the younger man's side in a flash, reaching out to check his colleague. Ianto held him back.

"It's nothing. I need to talk to Jack."

But Jack having seen him come in was by now also there. Ianto got up swaying precariously on his feet and both Owen and Jack reached out to steady him.

"Ok, talk to me while Owen patches you up."

Ianto shook his head. "Talk first, in private. Your office." He said firmly.

Owen opened his mouth to protest but Jack waved him down.

Ten minutes later and Ianto was sat on the couch in Jack's office with Jack carefully attending to the grazes on the backs of Ianto's hands as Ianto steeled himself to talk, trying to ignore the sting of the antiseptic.

"Jason Murry is bringing me in on his operation. I'm valuable it seems. He gave me a list of things he wants from the archives, though how the hell he knows we have them……He must have access to our computers or something." Ianto sucked in a painful breath.

"Then who the hell did this to you?" Jack demanded.

"Jason. It was meant as a method of making me understand the consequences of letting him down. He says he'll do this to Tosh and Gwen if I don't keep bringing in the things they want. They…."Ianto stopped himself wanting to cry and curl up like a baby, but he knew he couldn't do that in front of Jack. Jack however registered the look that Ianto hadn't meant to give and pulled him into a gentle embrace kissing the top of his head.

"What happened Yan?"

Ianto eased himself away shaking his head. "Nothing, my ribs hurt, is all." He took a slow breath to steady himself, Jack watching him with silent concern.

"They've got some one from UNIT helping them, but I don't know who. I over heard them joking about it."

Jack carefully lifted Ianto's chin, inspecting the bruising to his pale face, the cut lip and swollen left cheek."

"I'm sorry Yan. I should never have asked you to do this. I'm so sorry."

Ianto sort of smiled at the genuine regret in Jack's voice. "I'm fine, really. Its just bruises." He lied.

Jack frowned at him recognising the dishonesty. "I know it isn't. I can see it in your eyes Yan. I'm pulling you out."

Ianto gripped his arm. "It's too late for that, you do that and I am a dead man and these guys disappear and more people die. We have to see this through."

Jack couldn't help but feel a swell of pride for the young man before him. "I am so worried. You've been hurt enough."

"Trust me Jack. You have to trust me to do this."

Jack nodded. "That was never in question."

Ianto closed his eyes and sighed. "Thank you."

"Ok Ianto, tell me everything."

Ianto sat there hunched over a glass of brandy and relayed everything he could remember, names, places and every detail. Three hours later and he was asleep on the autopsy table having been checked over by Owen and given a sedative.

Owen barged in to Jack's office having settled Ianto off to sleep. He slammed the door, beside himself with anger.

"Right Jack, what the fuck is going on with Ianto? And don't feed me that Post Traumatic Stress rubbish, I am his doctor in case you'd forgotten!" He yelled.

Jack silently gestured for him to sit. Owen complied.

"How is he?" Jack asked.

Owen recognised the real worry in Jack's tone and calmed himself before answering.

"He's had the shit kicked out of him and he's…..I'm not sure I should be telling you."

"Owen?"

"I think he was sexually assaulted. He wouldn't let me examine him. So right now I guess he's feeling pretty shit."

Jack paled.

"Did you do this Jack?"

Jack was stunned at the question and more than a little hurt.

"You think me capable?"

Owen shrugged. "You tell me."

Jack sank down into his seat numb at the accusation. "I didn't do this to him. I did put him the line of fire though, if that's what you are asking. Shit." Jack lurched back up from his chair and paced around the confines of the office.

"He's carrying out an investigation for me." He said finally.

Owen watched his leader through narrowed eyes, realisation of the implications of that slowly sinking in.

"You put Tea Boy out there on his own, with no back up? Jesus Jack what the hell are you playing at?"

"Ianto knows what he is dong, he's been dealing with this thing for months and he's finally making some serious progress." Jack responded more than a little defensively. Owen arched his eyebrows.

"He's a kid Jack! A receptionist with almost no field experience. How the hell is he going to cope with what's happened to him?"

"He'll be fine Owen. I'll take care of him, but he stays on the mission. Ianto will be ok. He's a lot stronger than you think."

"Bullshit Jack!" He hissed.

"Owen, I've already suggested we pull the plug on this. Ianto refused. He thinks he can do this and I agree with him. He knows the risks and is prepared to take them." Jack retorted firmly.

Owen got up and faced him. "You're using him. That stupid love sick boy would walk into a burning building if you asked him to. This isn't about the job, or duty Jack. It's because he's besotted with you. If Ianto dies doing this thing I hope you feel guilty for a very, very long time because you will deserve to. You are a fucking bastard Jack Harkness." Owen turned and left slamming the door behind him.

**CONFESSIONS AND LAMENTATIONS:**

Ianto awoke and stretched his arms to try and ease the pain and stiffness in his shoulders. How he had actually managed to sleep on the metal autopsy bench was beyond him. Cautiously he sat up hurting all over, inside and out. Ianto did not want to think about it. It took him a moment to register the fact that Jack was standing there beside him proffering a soft bath towel and a pile of clean clothes. He placed them on the exam table beside his……Jack wondered at that. What was Ianto to him now?

"How are you feeling?" He asked gently.

"I'll be all right Jack." Ianto responded, not making eye contact. "Just as soon as these ribs heal."

Jack grasped his hand. "That's not what I meant. Owen told me about the other things they did to you."

Ianto's face burned with the shame of it. "Really Jack I'm fine." He pulled his hand away from Jack's grasp and gathered the bundle of clothes and the towel. "I er…I'm gonna get cleaned up. Excuse me."

Jack stepped back to let him pass noticing the intensely unpleasant look Owen cast his way as he did so.

Ianto stood under the shower head with eyes closed, hands splayed on the tiled wall as the scalding water ran over him. He had scrubbed furiously at his skin inspite of the pain and now he just stood there trying to drown the feeling of dirtiness that still clung to him. His tears losing themselves in the stream, his body wracked with heavy sobs. He finally sank down to the floor drawing his knees tightly into his chest. Ianto didn't notice a hand reach in to turn the water off and it took him some time to realise that the person holding him was Owen.

Ianto sat quietly, a towel wrapped around his narrow waist as Owen carefully re did the bandaging to protect Ianto's cracked ribs.

"You really need to be careful with these mate. Take a couple of weeks off to get some rest." Owen advised gently as he worked.

Ianto nodded not really listening, so Owen continued.

"Jack told me about the investigation you're working on. You should pull out Ianto. It's getting too dangerous and Jack shouldn't have exposed you like that in the first place." He tried to sound firm and friendly at the same time, but Ianto still didn't reply.

"Look Ianto, mate. I know you and Jack have this thing going, but you don't have to do everything he tells you to do."

That finally got the Welshman's attention. He looked at Owen appreciating his concern.

"This isn't about Jack. I do have a choice and I am going to see this through. If I walk away those people will still be out there, killing others. Jack warned me of the dangers, offered to shut down the operation, but I know what's at stake if I fail. You guys go out there every day, facing weevils and gods knows all the other kinds alien trash that gets dumped on us. This is no different Owen and Jack's right. I can do this. I know what it is to hide behind secrets and lies. Jack's using my skills in the same way that you are the medic and Tosh is the Techie. Though I'm not quite sure what Gwen does. Don't be mad at him Owen. Jack's upset enough over what happened to me."

Owen shook his head. "Stuff Harkness. What about how you feel Ianto? Doesn't that matter to you?"

Ianto looked up at his colleague. "No, not really. I've lost everything that ever mattered. At least with this I can do some good, otherwise there really is nothing."

"What about you and Jack?"

Ianto huffed out a breath, which made him wince. "The only thing that binds us together is loneliness. He looses everyone because he can't die and I've already lost everyone. We understand each other, but that's as far as it goes." Ianto explained wondering why he was telling Owen all of this.

"I thought you were in love with him."

Ianto half smiled, love, what a joke. "I am. I love him enough to understand that I am as temporary as everything else in his life. It's Gwen he wants to be with anyway."

Owen arched his eyebrows. That was news to him. "He told you that?"

Ianto shook his head. "I've just seen the way he looks at her."

"And I've seen the way he looks at you." Owen countered. "You haven't told him how you feel have you?"

Once again Ianto shook his head.

"Are you two still shagging each other?"

Ianto frowned at the use of the 'S' word. "No, not since he got back. He asked me out on a date a while ago now, but we haven't done it yet."

Owen was looking exasperated. "He can be such a twat sometimes."

Ianto began pulling on a clean shirt and shakily doing up the buttons.

"Tell him how you feel Ianto." Owen said firmly. "I know I can be a right wanker sometimes and you've every right to think that of me, but trust me. You need to tell him."

"And have my heart broken all over again? I don't think so Owen. He ran out on me before remember? I couldn't take that a second time." Ianto abruptly changed the subject. "I have to get ready. Thank you Owen, for helping me, for everything really."

Owen stood up. "You're a good mate Ianto. I know we have our moments, but you know where I am if you need me."

Ianto nodded.

Ianto wandered back in to he main part of the Hub with his customary tray of drinks for everyone. Both Gwen and Tosh did a double take at the sight of the blackening bruises on Ianto's cheek but neither girl commented, just thanking him for their coffees. Ianto handed a mug to Owen and took the last one up to Jack's office. As soon as the door was heard to close Gwen faced Owen.

"What happened?"

Owen shrugged which was incredibly annoying. "He came in last night a bit pissed and fell down the stairs into the autopsy bay." He said flatly, sipping on his amazing cup of coffee. Gwen was not even slightly convinced but the look on Owen's face told her not to enquire further.

Jack gratefully accepted the mug that Ianto handed to him. He looked up. Ianto was dressed in a charcoal tailored suit and dark red shirt and Jack just had to pause to look at him as Ianto turned to leave with out offering a word.

"Ianto?" Jack ventured.

"Yes sir?" The office face was back, Ianto's hand on the door.

"Sit down. And drop the 'sir'. I thought we'd talked about that already."

Ianto didn't move.

"Please Ianto."

Unhappily Ianto sat down putting the empty tray on the floor beside his feet, he gazed about avoiding Jack, is hands resting on his knees. A long silence descending on them, Jack eventually broke it.

"We need to talk Yan."

"About what, sir?"

Jack sighed. "About that for a start. I thought you and I were going to be ok now."

Ianto nodded. "We're fine." He responded automatically.

"No we're not. I seem to remember asking you out on a date a few months back. I still want that, do you?"

For the first time Ianto looked straight at him his expression blank. "I'm not sure if it's such a good idea. With work and everything……" He trailed off not wanting to have this conversation.

Jack moved from his chair to sit on his desk next to Ianto, he took hold the Welshman's left hand noting a mild flinch as he did so.

"Would it make any difference if I told you that I loved you?"

Ianto looked up in Jack's eyes and straight away saw the truth of his words, he just wasn't ready to accept it. "You love all of us Jack and what has Owen been saying to you?" He asked a hint of anger in his voice.

Jack shrugged not understanding the relevance of the question. "He told me off for giving you the assignment."

"He did?"

Jack smiled. "He was right. I deserved the bollocking. And you haven't answered my question." Jack reminded him gently.

"Yes it makes a difference, but only if you don't leave me again."

"I know that hurt."

Ianto chewed at his lip. "Actually you have no idea what I went through. You broke my heart the day you told me about 1941 and the real Jack Harkness and then you deserted us for 5 months. Maybe we deserved that for turning on you the way we did. I don't know anymore. I just don't want to be taken for granted and I know I will be."

"I promise you won't be."

Ianto almost smiled. "You can't make that promise. You will take me for granted because you always do. I just don't want to fall back into being shagged at your convenience any more."

Jack was stung by the remark.

"You think, that's all you were to me?"

"At the time, yes. I don't blame you Jack. We never made any promises to one another."

Jack gently rubbed circles on the back of Ianto's hand with his thumb.

"I'm making one now."

Ianto closed his eyes for a moment. "I know you are."

"So we have date then?"

Ianto nodded. "Maybe, once this job is done. I'd like that." He replied. They both stood up, Jack keeping a soft hold of Ianto's hand.

"I meant what I said. I do love you."

Ianto just looked at him with intense longing and closing his eyes he brushed a kiss to Jack's forehead. Jack enfolded him in a gentle embrace a hand roaming through Ianto's soft hair. Ianto finally slid his arms around Jack's waist leaning into his body and holding on as tightly as he could not wanting to ever have to let go. It took him a moment to realise that Jack was whispering soothingly to him in Welsh and Ianto smiled because it sounded funny with the American accent. Reluctantly Ianto eventually eased himself from Jack's embrace.

"I need to get those things from the archives." He said. The spell broken Jack took a pace back.

"Yeah, of course. Get Tosh to help you, make sure everything that you need is working……."

He was interrupted mid sentence by the phone on his desk ringing. Jack sighed and turned to answer it and Ianto took that as his cue to leave the office.


End file.
